Existence (Existence Trilogy #1)(49)

“You prolly wanna go get yerself some of that sugah. That tea ain’t got no sweet in it and it is just nasty without it.” A girl with stringy, brown hair and big, brown, round eyes stood frowning at the cup in my hand. Her front teeth seemed to stick out a little and her nose was covered in freckles. She reminded me of someone you might find on a farm somewhere.

“Oh, um, thanks but I don’t drink sugar in my iced tea,” I explained and she snarled her nose.

“Ya must be a Floridian then. Ain’t figerd out why you people carry on as if ya from up north. Ya’ll are more suthurn than we are in Mississippi and we know iced tea needs sugah.”

I struggled to understand her accent but I smiled and turned back toward the table I’d been heading for when I noticed it now had two other occupants: the girl with the brown, bushy hair who had slammed the door and locked herself inside after seeing me earlier, and Gee. I faltered and wondered if maybe I should go sit at another table when Gee shot me a challenging grin. I figured I’d better stick to my plan. Gee expected me to go somewhere else and I didn’t want her thinking she scared me. I was a little surprised she was sitting with the jumpy girl. Gee didn’t seem like the kind of person a fearful, nervous person would be drawn to.

“Ya aint thinkin uh sittin over with those two, are ya?” the farm girl asked me.

I shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”

She chuckled. “Cause Gee is a nut case, that’s why.

Straight looney toons, I tell ya.” I bit back a smile at the fact this place was for the mentally disturbed. Wasn’t everyone a little looney toons?

“Um, thanks, but I’ve met Gee and she seems fine.” The girl beside me stared at me as if studying me carefully.

“You ain’t a Schizo, too, are ya? ‘Cause I need to know. I ain’t comfertable round no Schizo’s.” I glanced back at Gee and wondered if that was what she was. Did she have Schizophrenia?

I shook my head. “No, I’m PTSD.”

She beamed. “Oh, good I can deal with that. Ya’ll are easy to handle. Me, I’m Bipolar. Mama had me brought in cause I tried to knock myself off a while back.” I stiffened, looking at this friendly person with the innocent farm girl appearance, wondering how someone like her could attempt to end her life. “Why?” I heard myself ask.

She shrugged. “Sometimes I get so sad that it jest sounds good.” She said this with all seriousness and I shivered. I never realized there were kids my age who appeared normal but dealt with so much internally. I sat my tray down across from the bushy brunette. “Nice to talk to ya,” the farm girl said, smiling.

“Not going to sit near me, Henrietta? Why, Henrietta, I do believe my feelings are hurt. I may feel the need to cry right here in front of the whole damn cafeteria,” Gee said, smiling at the retreating form of the farm girl.

“Leave her alone,” the bushy brunette hissed before sticking a spoon full of macaroni and cheese into her mouth.

Gee grinned back at the bushy brunette. “It’s so much fun to tease Henrietta. Sometimes I can even get her to say ‘I’ve had ‘nough uh yer smack talkin’. Now leave me uhlone Gee fer I tell on ya’.” Gee imitated Henrietta’s speech perfectly.

The bushy brunette grinned and swallowed her mouthful of food.

“So you aren’t crazy? I’m Jess, sorry about earlier today but I’m not into meeting the new crazies who come. I’m crazy enough and I don’t need any more crazy around me. I spend too much time with Gee as it is.” Gee grinned and stuck out her tongue, which also had a bar in it but this one was silver.

I stared, surprised by the appearance of her tongue and she cackled with laughter.

“Relax. Pagan. I don’t bite, at least, I don’t bite other people.” She laughed at her comment as did her partner. “I told Jess not to get all worked up over you. I’d seen you and there wasn’t anything wrong with you. But you’re interesting.

We can’t seem to figure out what it is they seem to think you have.”

I moved the food around on my plate but nothing appealed to me.

“PTSD,” I supplied, glancing up at her.

“Ah, so they think you have had trauma and it screwed with you. What’s really wrong, since we know you’re not a crazy? What did you do to get sent here?” Jess asked before jamming another spoon full of macaroni and cheese into her mouth. I glanced back toward the nurses who had now started patrolling the aisles.

“That isn’t something I really want to discuss.” I picked up my roll, hoping if I started filling my mouth they would stop expecting me to talk.

Gee nodded and then nudged Jess in the side. “Look over at Roberta. She’s about to take out Kim for touching her plate. Ah, damn, there is Nurse Karen. She’s taking Roberta to get a new plate and wash her hands.” Gee grinned over at me. “Roberta is the best kind of mental case to mess with.”

“She is OCD,” Jess finished for her, grinning. Apparently poor Roberta’s problem was a point of entertainment. Gee flicked her tongue ring on her teeth.

“Funny shit,” she said, grinning.

“Ten minutes tomorrow, Gee,” Nurse Karen’s voice came from behind me.

Jess rolled her eyes. “Why do you do that when you know she can hear you?”